The IFLA Library and Research Services for Parliaments Section – IFLAPARL – addresses the specific professional interests of parliamentary library and research services.

Purpose and Scope

The Section is concerned with library & research services to legislatures at international and national level, and at second-tier level in the case of federal and devolved countries. The activities and interests of these services include the operation of legislative libraries but commonly extend beyond the usual scope of IFLA, including forms of research, public communication and education. They may also have responsibility for managing institutional documentation and parliamentary archives. The primary focus of the services is the provision of timely, authoritative, concise, and objective information to elected members of the legislature, in support of their legislative, oversight and representative functions. The work is performed in a political arena where impartiality and confidentiality are critical, clients are usually information-rich and time-poor, and service management requires political and ethical judgement. IFLAPARL members share many common challenges and opportunities, and they actively share experiences through workshops and presentations, as well as through publications produced by members, often jointly with other international and regional parliamentary organizations and institutions.

Objectives

Specific aims of the Section include:

  • To increase the effectiveness of parliamentary library and research services.
  • To provide a forum for addressing emerging issues related to legislative processes.
  • To promote openness, transparency and the strengthening of democratic participation through the provision of information about legislation and parliaments to citizens.
  • To promote the establishment of library and research services as a fundamental component in the development of democratic legislatures throughout the world.
  • To exchange experience, knowledge and problem-solving strategies, and promote networking amongst parliamentary library and research services.
  • To develop and promote standards and best practice in providing information and knowledge to parliaments.

This unit is part of the Professional Division B.